Kimi Raikkonen might not remember the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix fondly but for one of his young fans the memory will probably last for ever.

Raikkonen was the unlucky victim of a Turn 1 squeeze at the start, being nudged into Max Verstappen's car by Valtteri Bottas. That forced Raikkonen to retire from the race, his car's steering column broken.

As Raikkonen climbed from his car Formula One Management's world feed, used by F1 broadcasters around the world, then showed a distraught young boy, decked out in Ferrari gear with his mother, in tears in the grandstand.

His spirits picked up a bit shortly afterwards, as he was seen celebrating for Raikkonen's teammate, Sebastian Vettel, and his thrilling pass on Valtteri Bottas ate, which occurred at the end of the long run down to Turn 1.

Soon the fan was shown walking through the paddock with his mother and father. His destination? The Ferrari motorhome and an audience with the man himself, and he would leave with a very special souvenir.

In a press release circulated by F1 management after the race, the boy's father, Coralie, said: ""This has been the most fantastic day for us. We could not believe it when they came to get us and took us to Ferrari. This is great for fans like us, it really makes F1 and all of its people come alive. Brilliant!"

Thomas' trip to Ferrari became a big hit on social media, with many praising F1's new owners for bringing a fan into the pit lane to meet one of his heroes. After meeting Raikkonen, he then joined Ferrari as the team celebrated underneath the podium as Sebastian Vettel picked up his trophy for finishing second.

The family later told Sky Sports F1 they are lifelong Ferrari fans -- and even have a cat called Schumie -- and had been sought out after being caught by the live feed. The trip to the paddock didn't just finish with meeting Raikkonen, with young Thomas making a couple of media appearances before the day was out.